Device for operating hatchway-gates



UNTTEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK IIEINE AND EDVARD BENGEL, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

DEVICE FOR OPERATING HATCHVVAY-GATES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,615, dated February 26, 1889.

Application filed October 4., 1888. Serial No. 287,155. (No modeLl To (02] whom it may (MILO/517$.

Be it known that we, FREDERICK HEINE and I EDWARD BENGEL, both citizens of the United 3 States of America, residing at Cincinnati, in as seen in Fig. l, or it may consist of a comthe county of Hamilton and State of ()h io, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Elevator-Gates, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the ac companying drawings.

This invention relates to those elevators whose platforms or cabs are provided with appliances that automatically open and close vertically-sliding gates or similar barriers guarding the various hatchwaystraversed by said platforms; and the first part of our improvements comprises a novel construction of gate-lifting device, the details thereof being hereinafter more fully described.

The second part of our improvements comprises a novel combination of devices for temporarily rendering the gate-liftin g device inoperative when it is desired to run the elevator without opening the gates, the details of this combination beinghcreinafter more fully described.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of an elevator embodying our improvements, the platform being on a level with the floor of the building and the gate completely elevated. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the gate-lifting device locked in its effective position. Fi is an enlarged plan showing said device secured in an inoperative position, the shaft and locking-spring being sectioned.

Referring to Fig. 1, A. represents the floor of a building, and a is a hatchway in the same, which passage is flanked with the customary vertical stanchions or guides, one of the latter being seen at B.

O is the cross-beam, and I) one of the up rights of a platform or cab, E, which platform is raised and lowered by the cable F or othobstructed passage to the elevator; but when erwise. Attached to the upright D is frame, G, that supports the gate-lifting device, the principal member of the latter being a vertical shaft, H, which is so fitted in said frame as to be readily turned when occasion requires.

I a curved lever pivoted to the shaft H, and near the upper end thereof, the free end of said lever being normally thrown outward by the stress of a suitable spring, J. An effective length of this spring is obtained by titling it within. a bend, ll, of the vertical shaft. Furthermore, this spring may be coiled,

pressible cushion, as represented at .I in Fig. 2, or it mawbe a plate-spring, as indicated by the dotted lines .I in said illustration.

K is a shackle or other stop that limits the outward swing of lever I. The lower bar of frame G has a pair of sockets,L L, located at right angles to each other, as seen in Fig. 3, which sockets are adapted to admit the free end of a plate-spring, M, the opposite end thereof being secured to the vertical shaft H.

N is one of a pair of vertical stanchions having a groove or other guide. 22, that confines the gate or other barrier, 0, to a proper path, said gate being suspended from a rope, P, which, after passing over a sheave, R, has a counter balance, b, attached to it, said weight being provided with a'lug, .9, projecting toward the lever I.

o is a pin projecting from the inner side of gate 0, said pin being in the same plane as the lug s.

In constructing this elevator care must be taken to applyasufficient number of weights S to the rope P until the gate 0 is exactly counterbalanced, and these weights must be so guided as to preserve the lug s ina proper position to be operated by the gate-lifting device. These precautions having been taken, and the gate 0 being in its normal orlowered POSItiOILliJlS evident that when the platform E ascends, the lever I comes in contact with the pin 0 of said gate,and as the spring J will not give until considerable pressureis exerted against said lever it will be seen that the gate must ascend simultaneously with said platform. hen the platform is arrested on a level with any floor in the building, the gate is completely raised, thereby affording an unsaid platform is raisedafew inches above the floor said gate is stopped by coming in contact with the upper end of a guide. (Not shown.) Consequently the gate can travel no farther, and the continued ascent of the platform causes such a pressure to be exerted against the lever I as to compress the spring J, and thus enable said lever to escape from contact with the pin 0. travel of the platform brings the lever in contact with the lug 8, thereby raising the counter-balance S and causing a corresponding descent of the gate 0, which latter soon reaches the floor, and as soon as this occurs the deadweight of said counter-balance suffices to overcome the pressure of spring J. Therefore the spring again compresses and enables the lever time the platform ascends through a hatchway; but when the platform descends the automatic operations are exactly re\ 'erscdthat is to say, the lever I first pulls down upon the lug 0, so as to raise the gate just before said and pin 0; but it frequently happens that a i platform must make repeated trips from the cellar to the upper floor of a warehouse, in which event there is no need of raising and lowering either of the gates. This unnecessary action of the gates is guarded again st by simply compressing the spring M, so as to free it from the socket L, as indicated by the dotted line in Fig.3, and then turning the shaft H around until said spring is opposite the other socket,L' The spring is then liberated A few inches more and allowed to engage with said socket L, which act locks the lever I in a position at a right angle to its normal position, and thereby prevents said lever coming in contact either with the pin 0 or lug s. In this inoperative position of the gate-lifting device the platform canbe run indefinitely in either direction without moving the gate or gates of the elevator. By again re-engaging the spring I to escape from contact with thelug s, which operations are automaticallyperformed every with the notch L the gates will be aiitomatieally opened and closed, as previously described. Finally, with some elevators it may be impossible to make a right-angle turn of the lever, in which event said lever may be shifted only sufficient to clear thelug and pin.

'We claim as our invention 1. An clevator-gatc-opcrating device eonsistin g of a frame attached to the platform or cab, a rock-shaft mounted in bearings of said frame, a lever pivoted to the rock-shaft to engage the gate, and a spring-lock adapted to hold said rock-shaft and lever in an operative or in an inoperative position, substantially as described.

2. The combination of rock-shaft H, pi voted lever I, spring J, locking-spring M, and a supporting-frame provided with bearings for the rock-shaft and sockets L L for said lockingspring, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affi it our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK HEINE. EDW'ARD BEN lEL.

Vitnesses:

JAMES H. LAYMAN. SAML. S. CARPENTER. 

